Fredrick a



N0. 6l3,688. Patented Nov. 8, I898.

- F. A. LA ROCHE.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

(Application filed Dec. 28, 1897.)

(No Model.)

W/TNESSES //v VENTOR 7, wa cveomok 7?, fa 00506 un MA Henry 571/0766 ATTORNEY.

FREDRICK A. LA ROCHE, OF NEW YORK. N: Y.

' l (ELECTRIC SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part a Letters Patent No.

' Application filed December 28,1897. Serial No.

613,688, dated November 8, 1898'.

664,160. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, FREDRIOK A. LA Rooms, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of N ewYork, in the York, have invented certain new and useful use consists of a pivoted at one end Improvements in Electric Switches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electric switches or cut-outs.

The form of electric switch now in general swinging blade or blades and provided at the other end with a handle suitable for operating and connected througlrthe pivoted joint with an electric circuit. The circuit also leads to a set of jaws which are adapted to receive the blades whereby the contact is made and the circuit completed. With this form of construction trouble is continually experienced at the pivoted joint, as it is verydiflicult to obtain a good contact at all times, and espccially is this the ease with switchds designed for carrying comparatively heavy currents. To obtain the. best contact, the contacting surfaces must be closely pressed together, and with a pivoted joint any such contact makes the blade very hard to operate, and even if the contact is good at first the joint soon wears, so that the contact becomes poor. So much trouble has been experienced in the way of overheating caused by resistance due to poor contacts at ,this joint that it has in many cases been thought best not to conduct the current through these pivoted joints, but to supplyan additional set of jaws and make the contact through them at a point removed from the joint. This necessitates a much larger and more cumbersome switch to carry the same amount of current. To provide a switch which will overcome these a close contact between the fixed and movable parts, and which will permit of the passage of a current through thecountyand State of N ewelevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a partialsection taken on line A A of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail of the arrangement for locking certain adjusting-screws.

Referring to the drawings, I provide a base 1, made of any suitable material. Firmly fastened to this base are the bars 2 and 2, fitted with the sets of plates 3 and 3. The bridgeplates 4 and 4' are pivoted to these plates and connected with each otherby the non-conducting bar 5, furnished with the handle (3. The bars 2 and 2' are connected with the sockets 7 and 7', respectively, by the plates Sand 8 or in any other suitable manner, and these sockets are adapted to receive oneend of the line-circuit. The sockets 9 and 9' are provided to receive the other end of the line.- circuitand are connected with the switchjaws l0and 10. The jaws 10 consist of two parallel plates 10 and 10", adapted to receive the bridge-plate 4 between them, and the jaws 10 are ranged. .From this point on the description will be confined to one side of the switch, it

being understood that the other side is constructed and arranged in precisely the same manner and that the two sides are duplicates of one another.

The bridge-plate 4 is pivoted between the plates 3 and 3" upon the slotted screw 11, and in the head of this screw are milled circular indentations 12, into one'of which fits the locking-screw 13, the object of which will be more fully described farther on. Fitted to the screw 11 is the arm 14, one end of which is provided with a projection 15, which fits into a hole 16 in the bridge-plate 4. The screw 11 is loosely fitted to the plates 3 and 3" and prevented from turningin them bythe locking-screw 13, while the arm 14 may be partially rotated upon the rotating moves in toward or out from the plate 3, according to the direction in which the arm is rotated. The switclrjaws 10 and 10 are also provided with a screw 17, similar to the screw 11, and with a locking-screw 18. Working upon the screw 17 is the arm 19, provided with a slot 20, which receives a pin 21, and this pin is fastened to the bridgcplate 4.

To place the instrument in proper adjustsimilarly constructed and ar-' screw 11 and in so ment, the bridgc-plate'being in position to arm 14 upon the tact with the bridge-plate.

complete the circuit, as shown in Fig. 2, the screw 11 is tightened in the arm 14 until the plates 3 and 3 and bridge-plate 4 are bound together sufiiciently close to obtain a good contact. The lock-screw 13 is then screwed into place to prevent the screw 11 from turning. In the same way the jaws 10 and 10" and bridge-plate 4 are adjusted by the screw 17 and locking-screw 1S.

In the operation of the device whenever the bridge-plate 4 is thrown out of contact as it rocks upon the screw 11 it also turns the screw 11 and in the direction opposite to that necessary to bind the plates 3 and 3" together, and thearm 14 as it turns upon the screw 11 moves out from these plates, as shown by the broken lines in Fig. 3, which position is, exaggerated to show more clearly the operation of the device. In the same way as the bridge-plate .4 is rocked and moved out of contact with the jaws 10 and 10" the pin 21 turns the slotted arm 19 upon the screw 17, and this arm moves out from the jaws sufficiently to free them from their close con- In closing the circuit these operations take place in the reverse order, and the jaws 10 and 10' are closely bound to the bridge-plate at their point of contact with it, and the plates 3 and 3 are closely bound to the bridge-plate at its junction with them.

In order to clearly explain the operation of this invention, it has been necessary to describe it in a specific form of construction. I do not wish, however, to be limited to the precise construction here shown, since it is possible to embody the same idea in other constructions, and I contemplate all proper omission of parts or the substitution of equivalents as circumstances may suggest or necessity render expedient. Thus will be seen the however, slightly 7 advantages of this invention. Phe closestpossible contact 1s obtained when the circuit is closed. Immediately the bridge-plate be;

its close contact with the contacting plates and moves easily, and at the same time on account of this freedom of movement the wearis reduced to a minimum and the life of the switch is increased in every way, while thepossibility of fire from overheating at the connections is very much decreased.

1. In an electric switch, a bridge, plates adapted to be connected with one end of a circuit, a pivot carried by said plates, and carrying said bridge and provided with a threaded portion, anarm working on said 45 gins its opening movement it is released from threaded portion and directly connected with .60

said bridge, whereby said arm moves in unison with said bridge, a means of preventing said pivot from turning in said plates, and jaws adapted to receive said bridge and to be connected with said circuit, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In an electric switch, plates adapted to be connected with one end of a circuit, a pivot carried by said plates and provided with-a threaded portion, an arm working on said threaded portion and provided with a projection, a bridge carried by said pivot and provided with an opening to receive said projection, thereby connecting said arm with said bridge whereby the two move in unison, a means of preventing said pivot from turning in said plates, and jaws adapted to receive said bridge and to be connected with said circuit, as and for the purpose set forth.

FREDRIOK A. LA nocnn.

Witnesses:

FRANK B. I-IUToHEoN, CHAS. II. SCHUM. 

